


Gibbs's Private Life Exposed

by ShadowWolfsDen



Category: NCIS
Genre: Character Bashing, Christmas, Implied Violence, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Kate's alive, Kid characters, M/M, Mild Language, Mpreg, Original Character(s), Untranslated Dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-25 18:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6206638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowWolfsDen/pseuds/ShadowWolfsDen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Crossposted from FF. <br/>Roses and a box. When Gibbs is in MTAC, what do the inquisitive agents do? They dig into Gibbs' personal life.<br/>9 chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Whistles and Smiles

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in 2013. Decided to crosspost from FF.  
> Still working on Fireworks, I hit a roadblock. I'm not making it more than 10 chapters if I can.

Special Agents Timothy McGee, Caitlin Todd, and Ziva David rushed out of the elevator to their desks. Traffic had been hectic and there had been an accident on the freeway. They knew they were going to be yelled at for being late. They sat down at their desks and powered up their computers. The paperwork from their last case was taking longer than usual and Gibbs wanted their reports like yesterday.

McGee looked up and noticed something was off. "Uh, guys. Where's Gibbs?"

Kate and Ziva looked up at this and turned to face Gibbs' desk. McGee was right. Not only was Gibbs not there, but there was a vase of roses and a medium sized package where his coffee should be.

"Why are there roses on his desk?" Kate asked.

"Well, I don't know Kate. Why don't you look at the card."

Ziva didn't have time for their bickering. Her curiosity was peaked, but as she was about to get up, they heard whistling.

Gibbs walked into the bullpen with his regular cup of coffee and was whistling. He went to his desk, took off his coat, and hung it up on the rack a few feet away. He sat down in his chair and noticed the roses. He shook his head and smiled a smile that the team has never seen before.

Gibbs took the card from the roses and read it. If it was possible, his smile got wider. The team had never seen him so happy before. Ever! Gibbs pocketed the card and pulled out his knife. He cut the box open and and lifted a wooden box out and sat it on his desk. He lifted the lid and stared. He slowly closed the lid and placed the box gently in an empty drawer in his desk. He cleaned up the mess he made and powered up his computer.

The team wondered what the hell just happened. They were about to ask when Gibb's phone rang.

"Gibbs."

"Hey, Ho capito. E 'bellissimo. Grazie."

"Cena alle sette? Certo, io a prenderti. Anche io ti amo."

Gibbs hung up and went through his email. From the look on his face, he saw one that was unpleasant. He sighed and looked at his watch. He stood up and looked at his team.

"I'm going to be in MTAC all day. You're on cold cases until we get a case. If nothing comes in by closing time, go home."

Gibbs took the stairs two at a time and went into MTAC. The team made sure he was gone before getting up and moving to stand in the middle of the bullpen. They looked at each other and said, "What the hell?!"

"That was weird," said McGee.

"No kidding," Kate replied.

"I have never seen him act that way before," piped in Ziva.

Kate had a thought. "Is Gibbs seeing anyone?"

The other two agents looked at her like she had a second head. But then again, she could be right.

"Why would a woman send a man flowers, let alone roses to Gibbs?"

"That gift sure made him look happy."

"Did you get a good look at what it was?"

"I was too far away."

"Ziva, what are you doing?"

Ziva had taken matters into her own hands. She took the box out and set it on the desk.

"He took the card from the roses. Maybe whoever this person is may have left another one in the box."

She opened the lid and all three crowed around the desk to get a peek inside. They didn't this. Inside was a black soft leather shoulder holster. In the holster was a brand new .45 pistol that can with two extra clips. The leather of the holster was branded with LJG.

"What woman gets her man a gun?"

"I would," Ziva said.

McGee said, "This doesn't tell us anything. Kate, what do you think."

"Well, Gibbs obviously know this person from the way he reacted. He doesn't want us to know who it was from because he took the card. I agree that a pistol is a strange gift."

"Has Gibbs ever been married?" Ziva asked.

Kate thought about it. "Actually, I don't know. He's never said anything about seeing anyone. Come to think of it, I don't know anything about him."

"Yeah, why is that?"

"I don't know. How do you suppose we find out."

"Abby and Ducky," said in unison.

Ziva put the box back exactly the way she found it and they moved to the elevator. They prayed that Gibbs wouldn't come back and find out they were gone. 


	2. Lab Conference

The agents got off the elevator at the basement. The lab or "Abby's Labby" was where most of the evidence was processed for the MCRT. The bass of Abby's stereo could be felt and heard in the hallway. When they walked in, Abby was powering up and calibrating her babies.

"Abby!" they shouted.

Abby turned around and smiled at them.

"Hey guys. What's up?"

Tim stepped forward. "Abby, we need to talk to you and Ducky."

"Hang on a sec." She went to a small screen she had on her desk. She turned it on and Ducky appeared.

"Dear Abigail, how are you this fine morning?"

"I'm great, but the team wanted to talk to us. Can you come up?"

"Certainly. Give me just a moment." And he signed off.

By the time Ducky arrived in the lab, everyone had grabbed a chair and moved into Abby's inner office to give them privacy from any onlookers.

"Duckman!" Abby said as she gave him a hug.

"How lovely to see you my dear. Pray tell me, why are we all here?"

Kate spoke up. "Pull up a seat and we'll explain."

Everyone maneuvered their chairs into a circle.

Tim started, "Something weird happened this morning."

"Gibbs was acting strange." Ziva said.

Abby got curious. "How strange?"

Kate replied, "He was whistling and smiling."

Ducky looked rather perturbed at this. "That is not typical Gibbs behavior."

"We know!"

"There was also a vase of roses and a box sitting on his desk too." Tim added.

"Oooohhh, secret admirer." Abby got excited.

"We don't think so. He looked at the card and smiled like he knew who gave it to him."

"What was in the box?"

Ziva joined in, "A nickel plated .45 and a shoulder holster."

"Dammit. Why does he get the good gifts?" Abby cried.

"We can't figure out who gave it to him. We're debating male vs. female. That's why we wanted to talk to you. You both must know Gibbs more than we do. We three just realized we know little to nothing about him." Kate said.

"Let's compare notes and see." Abby supplied. "So what do we know about Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

"He was a Marine gunnery sergeant and a sniper." Tim said.

"He's addicted to coffee." supplied Kate.

"Isn't his nickname 'Second B is for Bastard'?" Ziva asked.

They all chuckled at this. "More or less, my dear, more or less." Ducky said.

"He likes classic cars because he drives a '71 Challenger and lives in Virginia based on the license plate." Abby added.

"This morning he got a call on his cell and he spoke to the other person in Italian."

"Oh my, I never knew. I heard him speak Russian once with remarkable fluency. Looks like Jethro has been holding out on us." Ducky mused.

They contemplated this for a few moments.

"Well, since we can guess that this other person is very close to Gibbs, is he seeing anyone?" Tim asked.

"Bossman never kisses and tells with me McGee. Sorry."

"Ducky?"

"I just had a thought. In our conversations, not once has the subject of family come up. I wonder if he has any."

"Poor Bossman!"

Kate looked at her watch. It was after 1100. "I think we should break for lunch and meet back here. Gibbs will still likely be stuck in MTAC so we should be safe."

...

Gibbs hated being in MTAC. He would rather be out in the field solving a petty officer's murder than salvaging what was left of a CIA clusterfuck. He looked at his watch. 1200. He hoped he could get out of here in time. He still had to change his clothes and pick up his gift before dinner.

...

It was after 1230 when everyone reconvened in the lab.

"Ok, how do we go about finding out about Gibbs?"

"Well, Mr. MIT, I suggest you hack into his personnel file."

Tim sputtered, "I can't do that. It's like breaking a code or something."

"Timmy if you don't do it, then I will. I can't believe I didn't so this sooner!"

Everyone crowded around Abby as she worked her magic. Fingers glided across her keyboard as she searched through the database. Her computer dinged when she got a hit. She opened the file and stared.

"Whoa. You guys, you have to see this." 


	3. Goldmine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the following information is AU.

"What is it, Abby?"

"Bossman has definitely been holding out. Even part of his file has been blacked out."

"Why would it be blacked out?"

"Timothy, I believe that Jethro my have been involved in some highly sensitive and classified cases. So the need for a blackout."

Kate was getting anxious. "Abby what does the unblacked out part of the file say?"

"Well, I pulled up his military and personnel file. Let's start with his military background."

She clicked the file open and put it on a plasma screen so she wouldn't be crowded. Gibbs' photo from his enlistment and a current shot popped up. In the photos he wore his dress blues.

"Damn, Bossman was hot and still is!"

"Abby, stop drooling over Gibbs," said Tim.

"Sorry, Timmy. Anyway, let's see what we have. Gibbs' rank is certainly not a Gunnery Sergeant. He's a Sergeant Major. He is a sniper and has a career record of 247 confirmed kills."

"Damn, now that is just plain scary."

"I know right. Guys, did you know that he's still technically in the service?"

"What do you mean, Abby?" said Ziva.

"He was never discharged. So he's still in the Corps. Plus, it says here that he holds the record for the farthest shot made at 1,739 yards."

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Don't look at me. Gibbs has some crazy shooting skills."

"He could have worked for Mossad," thought Ziva.

Kate turned back to the screen. "Ok, so Gibbs lies about his time in the service. Why would he do that?"

"I believe, Caitlin, that Jethro may have made some powerful enemies during his lifetime and is protecting himself."

Tim said, "He may not be protecting himself."

Everyone looked curiously at him.

"Think about it. Gibbs lies about being still in the Marines. Ducky said that he was protecting himself. But what if he was protecting someone else, namely a significant other."

"You could be right, McGee."

"What does the rest of the file say?"

Abby clicked to another section. "He has multiple ribbons and medals including the Bronze Star, Silver Star, and the Purple Heart. Um, he served three tours in Desert Storm and was deployed to Panama and Colombia. Hang on, there's a citation."

She clicked on another link. Her eyes got wide. "Wow, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor!"

Tim's jaw dropped. "He really is a hero."

Kate blinked. "I worked for the Secret Service. How did I not know this?"

"As I said, Jethro keeps these things close to his vest."

"Duckman's right. It says that it was awarded in 1991, but the reason why he got it was blacked out."

"Well, this is a certain turn of events," said Ziva.

Tim replied, "Abby what does his file at NCIS say?"

She typed a few keys and it popped up. "There's nothing much to go on. He joined in 1992 and was Mike Franks' probie. The first few years was spent overseas undercover in Paris and Moscow. Those files are also blacked out. He inherited the MCRT when Franks retired and has been the recipient of several commendations and civilian service medals."

"That's not much of a surprise."

Abby said, "It is when your clearance is as high as the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

"Can this get any creepier?"

"Yep, it just did Timmy." She opened another document labeled beneficiaries. "If he is seeing someone, their name would be listed as the recipient of his benefits when he either retires or gets killed."

"It says an Anthony D. Gibbs. Does Gibbs have a brother?"

Tim had moved to another computer. "No living relatives, but he does have 3 dependents and their names have been blacked out."

"Tim was right. He is protecting someone else."

"I ran Anthony D. Gibbs through the database. There's only a marriage license."

"Pull it up, Timmy!"

He put it on the plasma. They were stunned to see that their boss, Leroy Jethro Gibbs had married an Anthony Dante DiNozzo in December 2001.

...

It was 1600 when Gibbs got out of MTAC. He jogged down the stairs to the bullpen and picked up the duffel that was laying next to his desk. He opened a two drawers in his desk. In the first he grabbed the box that was sent to him this morning. In the second, he took out a velvet bag and put it in his pocket. He had to hurry if he was going to make it to the restaurant on time. He was excited about tonight.

Gibbs got in the elevator and pushed the button for the basement. He hoped Abby would let him use her office to change since he didn't have enough time to go all the way to the locker room.


	4. Hide!

Gibbs hurried to the lab. He checked his watch. 1630. Damn, he needed to hurry. He rushed in and was surprised to hear nothing. He didn't see Abby, but her machines were still running so she had to be around there somewhere.

"Abby?"

...

"Shit! It's Gibbs."

Everyone started to panic. They didn't expect him to come down there.

"Abby, what are we going to do. There's only one exit."

"Ok. I'll distract him while you guys hide in the ballistics lab. Timmy, turn off the monitors. Give me five minutes and then you can come out."

She waited until she knew everyone was well hidden. She opened her office door.

"Hey Bossman!"

Gibbs looked at her. "Abs, can I borrow your office for a few minutes?"

She started fidgeting. "Can I ask why?"

Gibbs starting impatient. "Look, I don't have time to argue. I have to change my clothes and then I'll leave. I'll be in and out in ten minutes tops."

"Ok. Come on in."

Gibbs sat his duffel and box on the table in the office. He pulled out his best suit and dress shoes and laid them out. He took off his sports coat and work shoes and stuffed them in the bag. He emptied his pockets and turned towards Abby.

"I'm going to change in the bathroom. Can you find me a full length mirror?"

"Sir, yes, Sir. I mean Ma'am."

Gibbs smiled, grabbed the dress shirt and slacks and retreated into the bathroom. Abby made sure the door was closed before she silently ran across the room to the ballistics lab.

Tim spoke up, "Is the coast clear, Abby?"

"Sorry, Timmy, but Bossman needed to change his clothes. He said it would take him ten minutes."

"I guess we wait."

"Kate, I need that mirror for Gibbs when he gets out. Grab it for me?"

Kate passed her the tall mirror. Abby had it set just right when Gibbs emerged. He had changed his shirts and work khakis to a white dress shirt opened at the collar and black slacks.

"Thanks Abby. I owe you a Caff-Pow."

"Anytime Gibbs." She decided to be inquisitive without being obvious. "Got a big date tonight?"

Gibbs grunted. "I don't kiss and tell, Abs." He slipped on his shoes and tied them. After putting the rest of his work clothes in his bag, he put his wallet, keys, and phone in his pockets. He buttoned his collar the rest of the way and tied a gray and blue striped tie. Finding his badge, he clipped it to his belt. Turning to the box, he opened it and slipped the shoulder holster on. He stood in front of the mirror, making sure everything was straight so far.

"Don't you have something you need to do, Abby?"

She turned to him after powering down her computer. "Nope, I'm done for today." She left her office to turn off Major Mass Spec for the night. She didn't see him put on his coat, place the velvet bag in his coat pocket, and slip his gold wedding band on his ring finger.

"You look hawt Bossman!"

"Glad you approve, Abs. I'm about done here. Let the team know they can go home."

Abby sent a text to McGee.

_Gibbs almost done. Free to go home._

She looked back up to see Gibbs putting a small amount of gel into his hair and styling it with a comb.

"I didn't know you used gel."

"Only on rare occasions do I use it. I'm finished up here. Thanks for letting me use your office." He kissed her cheek.

"Only for you."

Gibbs packed his stuff up and hastily made his exit. Abby made sure he left and opened the ballistics lab door.

"You can come out now. And boy does Gibbs clean up nicely." She started fanning herself.

"Calm down Abby."

"Here's what we're going to do. Timmy, grab three laptops. Ziva, snatch a car for us. Kate, go up to the bullpen and make sure Gibbs has left the building."

Tim looked skeptical. "Abby, what are you planning?"

"What do you think? We're following Gibbs."


	5. Their Special Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conversation in italics are from a cellphone speaker.

Tim was scrambling to access the laptops while feeling petrified at what they were about to do.

"Why are you making us follow Gibbs?"

Abby looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eye that Tim knew only caused them trouble.

"Because you're dying to know who this Anthony person is."

"Yeah, I am curious, but I don't know why we have to follow Gibbs to do it."

"That's why we're bringing the laptops silly."

Ducky came up to them. "Abigail, as much as I love you, but I do believe Timothy is right. I will bow out of this adventure of yours and take my leave." And he left the lab.

"See Abby, even Ducky knows it's suicide!"

"Quit whining Timmy, it'll be fun."

Tim started to get a weird feeling and felt his stomach twist into knots.

...

Everyone met in the parking garage and got in the car with Ziva driving.

"Okay troops, here's the plan. We're following Gibbs. Ziva is driving because she's the only one who can keep up with him and stay far enough away to not be made. Us three will use these computers for surveillance. Kate, you'll be searching the databases for this Anthony. Timmy, when we get to our destination, hack into the security cameras. I'll turn Gibbs' smartphone speaker into a microphone so we can hear what is being said."

"I still think this is a bad idea."

"Shut up, McGee!"

"Jeez, what a way to make a guy feel emasculated."

...

Gibbs was making good time headed to Georgetown. There was hardly any traffic and he had the freedom to speed up in his Challenger. He knew tonight was going to be perfect. He caught something in his peripheral vision from the rearview mirror. A car was keeping pace with him. His gut went into overdrive and he switched gears, picking up speed.

...

"Ziva, what the hell?! You're going over 100 mph. Are you trying to kill us?"

"You said to follow him and that is what I am doing, yes?"

"Kate, what do you have?"

"Anthony Dante Gibbs, formerly known as Anthony Dante DiNozzo Jr. Forty-two years old. Was born on Long Island to a wealthy family. Went to Ohio State and graduated with degrees in psychology. He entered the Academy in Baltimore and made his career there, making detective in 6 years. He left sometime after that."

"Why did he leave?"

"It doesn't say."

"Keep looking. I almost have his phone on speaker."

...

Gibbs reached the campus of Georgetown University with a few minutes to spare. He found a parking spot and waited. A minute later, a man walked toward him, his suit bringing out the green in his eyes. To Gibbs, he was the most beautiful person in the world and no one else mattered. Someone, maybe a student, stopped the man to ask him a question. That gave Gibbs time to go over his day.

The roses weren't a big surprise. He knew his husband was fucking with his teams' mind, wanting to assess their reactions. He had observed them when they weren't looking and he could the distracted looks on their faces. He couldn't remember much else since he was in MTAC all day. Then he thought of something. When he had walked into Abby's office he had caught the faint scents of perfume and cologne. Gibbs always used this particularly sensitive part of his anatomy to remember who smelled like what. The team didn't need to know that.

He had sniffed the air a bit while changing and noted several smells. There had been at least 5 people in the room before him and it was fresh. He listed the smells and who they belonged to.

Gunpowder=Abby, obviously because it's her office.

Pipe Smoke=McGee, kind of hard not to notice.

Strawberries=Kate, think it's her shampoo.

Leather=Ziva, she loves cars.

Antiseptic=Ducky, do I really need to explain?

Okay, that means the team was in the lab before he got there. Wait a minute, weren't they supposed to be on cold cases? Before he could instigate this further, the passenger door opened. Tony got in gracefully even with his long legs. Tony. His Tony. After twelve years of marriage, he still looked as beautiful as the day they met at a psychology seminar in Baltimore.

"Hey, beautiful."

"Hi, handsome. Ready to go?"

"Yep, what did Samantha say?" Gibbs had pulled the car out onto the highway.

"She said that she would be delighted to keep the kids later since we only get to do this once a year."

"Not once a year. We do this all the time."

"Eh, well. At least we have some alone time."

"Yeah, with our caseload and me getting called into MTAC...it's a fucking nightmare."

Tony chuckled. "I don't know how you do it."

Gibbs took Tony's hand in his and entwined their fingers. "Because I'm a bastard."

Tony laughed out loud at this.

...

The team had been following for about twenty minutes when they saw Gibbs' car pull in at an extravagant authentic Italian restaurant.

"Wow, Bossman got game."

They pulled in across the street in time to watch Gibbs get out and open the passenger door, offering his hand to the other occupant of the vehicle.

"This is better that watching Animal Planet."

"I agree, this is not Gibbs' typical behavior."

"Timmy, you got the cameras?"

"Yeah." He turned the monitor so everyone could see the screen. Gibbs and the man they assume is Anthony had just entered, the other man's hand tucked into the crook of Gibbs' elbow.

Kate smirked. "I think it's obvious to say who wears the pants in this relationship."

Ziva looked confused. "They are both wearing pants."

The other three busted out laughing.

"Oh good one Ziva." said Abby, trying not to smear her mascara she was laughing so hard. She typed a few keys in and hooked the laptop into the car's speakers so they could hear what they were saying.

"Kate, you got anything else to share with us while we wait for them to be seated?"

"Yeah, there's a file on Anthony's father. I can't access it. McGee, see what you can do."

It took Tim a second to open the file and handed the laptop back to Kate.

"Anthony Dante DiNozzo Sr. 65 years old. Born in Sicily and immigrated to the States where he married his wife, Maria Paddington. They only had one son, Anthony Jr. He runs a multimillion dollar company with assets placed all over the world."

"Born with a silver spoon in his mouth."

"Hush, guys. They're sitting down."

They watched the two men be lead to their table. It was in the back and away from the rest of the occupants. Gibbs pulled Anthony's chair out for him and pushed it back in when he was seated. Gibbs then took his own seat across from the other man.

_"Gentlemen, what would you like to have to drink?" their waiter asked._

_"I'll have a glass of iced tea if you have it." Anthony said._

_"And for you sir?"_

_"I'll have a tea as well. And don't call me sir, I work for a living."_

_"Very good. I'll go get your drinks and be back to take your order." The waiter left._

_Anthony turned to Gibbs._

_"Jethro, do you really have to do that every time. He's just a kid." he chuckled._

_Gibbs smirked. "I wasn't going to hurt him."_

_"Yeah, right. You always intimidate everyone around you. No wonder you're a bastard."_

_Gibbs gave him a genuine heartfelt smile. "Yeah, but I'm your bastard."_

_"Damn straight." He reached across the table and took Gibb's hand in his._

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Abby said.

"That was so cheesy," Kate said.

"What is so cheesy about being a bastard?"

They all laughed at Ziva.

"Waiter's back."

"I wish we had popcorn."

_"Here are your drinks, gentlemen. Now, what are you having this evening?"_

_Anthony answered. "We'll have the house special and tell Vinnie we said hi."_

_"Alright, it'll be thirty minutes tops."_

_When their waiter left, Gibbs stood up and held out his hand to the other man. Anthony smiled and took it. They walked to another part of the restaurant._

"Where are they going?"

"Timmy, find another angle."

The camera refocused and settle on the two men. Gibbs had taken Anthony out onto the dance floor and held him in a close embrace.

"Ermegerd! They're dancing. Leroy Jethro Gibbs is dancing. The world is coming to an end."

"Quiet Abby and watch."

And watch they did. Gibbs was obviously taking the lead as he waltzed with the other man across the floor. The other dancers had walked away as if they knew they couldn't hold a candle to them. The song soon had come to an end and another came on. The mood on the floor quickly changed and both men instantly snapped into an Argentine Tango.

"Whoa, did you see that."

Kate blinked. "They're really good."

The men were so focused on each other that they didn't notice the other dancers looking at them. It was like they were in their own world and they were the only occupants. The only time they refocused was when a new song started and changed their dance style to go along with it. After dancing for close to an hour nonstop, the last song ended and Gibbs dipped Anthony, kissing him long and slow.

The occupants of the car couldn't hear anything because the audience around the dance floor was clapping and cheering so loud on the verge of deafening.

Gibbs brought Tony back up and held his face in his hands. "Happy Anniversary, Tony," he said breathing hard.

Tony smiled while trying to get his breath back. "Happy Anniversary, Jethro."

_The crowd dispersed, leaving the men alone on the floor. They walked back to the table and sat down, smiles on their faces._

_"Antonio! Jethro!"_

_They turned and saw the head chef, Vincenzo, coming towards them with their dishes._

_"Wonderful dancing, both of you, as always."_

_Anthony stood up and kissed him on both cheeks. "Hi Vinnie."_

_"Vinnie." Jethro shook his hand._

_Vinnie looked at both of them. "How's -*static*"_

"Abby!"

"Sorry, give me a sec."

(Conversation they missed)

_"How's the family?"_

_"The twins are great. They're growing up so fast. This is their most recent picture."_

_Anthony opened his wallet and pulled out a photo of their 10 year old twins, Jason and Jacob. Jacob favored Gibbs by having the same ice blue eyes. Jason was more like Anthony with his playful side._

_"The next time you come, bring them. They are always a joy to see."_

_"We will."_

_"Good. Enjoy your meal. It is on the house."_

By the time Vinnie leaves, Abby has the sound working again.

The men dug in and ate silently. They looked at each other exchanging small smiles here and there. They had an entire conversation without words being said.

"Why aren't they saying anything?"

"I don't know."

Gibbs and Anthony finished and prepared to leave. Since their meal cost them nothing, Gibbs tossed a twenty for the tip on the table.

"Guys, here they come." They ducked in their seats waiting for Gibbs and Anthony to drive off.

_"Tony."_

They looked up and saw Gibbs holding out his hand. Tony took it and unashamed at the display of affection, they walked to the park across the street.

"I've lost visual."

"Are there cameras in the park?"

"Let me check... There's only one in this direction."

Gibbs and Tony had reached a park bench and sat down under a park lamp. They turned to each other and made themselves comfortable.

_"Thank you so much for tonight, Jethro."_

_Gibbs smiled. "I'm glad you're happy. And I want to thank you_ _for the gift."_

_"It was a last minute purchase and I'm happy if you're happy."_

_Gibbs chuckled. "I haven't given you your gift yet."_

_Tony beamed. "Give it!"_

_Gibbs smirked. "So impatient." He pulled the velvet bag out of his coat and gave it to the younger man. Tony opened it and pulled out a stunning 18K gold Marine Corps medallion and necklace._

_"I don't know what to say."_

_"Don't say anything."_

_Gibbs took the necklace from him and placed it around his neck. "It looks beautiful on you, Tony."_

_Tony looked up at him and snuggled in close. Gibbs welcomed him into the hug._

_"You want to know what can be even more beautiful?"_

_"Yeah, what's that?"_

_"I'm pregnant."_...


	6. The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last time on Gibbs's Private Life Exposed:  
> "I'm pregnant."

McGee and Kate snorted their drinks when they heard this.

"Someone please tell me he was joking."

Abby turned to him, eyes wide and showing the same astonishment he was. "I don't think so McGee."

They turned back to the screen.

_"I know."_

_"Of course you do. You know everything. What gave me away?"_

_"It's kind of hard to miss the signs. Especially when you don't order your favorite wine."_

_"And in turn you didn't get your bourbon."_

_"Yep."_

_Tony turned to Gibbs. "As much as I love the twins, but I really want this one to be a girl."_

_Gibbs smiled. "As long as it's healthy, I don't care what the sex is. You never know, it might be another set of twins."_

_Tony groaned at that. "It was hard the first time."_

_Gibbs sighed. "I know it was. And I will be with you every step of the way. When do have the first ultrasound?"_

_"I set up the appointment for next week."_

_"I'll be there. Come on, it looks like it's going to snow and my ass is getting cold."_

_Tony laughed with him all the way back to the car._

The team watched the Challenger drive away before anyone spoke.

"That was...different," Ziva said.

"Ya think?"

"Are you satisfied now Abby?"

"Not really. This only confirms that Gibbs is married. I just can't see a guy getting pregnant. We need more info. Here's what we're going to do. I'm going to tell Ducky what we found out tonight. Ziva, you and Kate get to follow Anthony."

"Abby, I think you're taking this to the extreme. Why don't we just ask Gibbs and make it look like we didn't know who sent him the gift?"

"But Timmy, he never told us! We have a right to know."

McGee had had enough for one day. First, he finds out that his boss is not only married, but to a man. And second, he has kids with said man and is expecting another. A man can only take so much.

"Ziva, take me back to the Yard. I've had enough."

"I think we all have. We'll start fresh in the morning."

* * *

 

Gibbs and Tony pulled into their driveway and sat there thinking about the future. Gibbs turned to look at his husband and saw the sorrowful look on his face.

"Tony, what's wrong?"

"I just keep thinking that our entire marriage is a dream and when I wake up, it'll be gone."

Gibbs took the younger man's face in his hands. "Remember what I said on our wedding day. I will always protect you and now that includes our boys," he placed his hand on Tony's still flat stomach, "and our little one right here. That bastard can never hurt you again."

Tony nodded. "You've done a great job so far. I will be forever grateful. Have I ever thanked you for getting me out of Baltimore?"

"You saying yes to my proposal was all the thanks I needed."

They got out of the car and headed to the door. Once inside, Tony seductively made his way towards Gibbs.

"You know, Jethro, that the kids aren't here."

"Uh huh." Gibbs said as he placed his hands on Tony's hips.

"So what are you going to do about it, Marine?"

"Oorah." Gibbs kissed Tony conveying all the love he felt in that one intimate moment.

They made sweet slow love that night. For them, every time felt like their first time all over again. They cuddled together afterwards and Tony fell asleep instantly. In the back of his mind, Gibbs had a tiny suspicion that all will not be well with the coming dawn. But Tony was safe and in his arms. With that thought, he closed his eyes and went to sleep feeling the rhythm of his husband's heartbeat against his palm.


	7. Precurser to the Explosion

Kate is sitting in her car across the street from her target's house. The target? One Anthony Gibbs. The house she was looking at was a two story house in a suburban neighborhood. A comfortable one in fact. There were roses planted in the front yard and the lawn was manicured. It looked like it was cut straight from a magazine. How in the hell Gibbs could afford it was a mystery to her.

Her passenger door silently opened and Ziva snuck in. "How is it going?"

"No activity yet. The downstairs light is on. No sign of Gibbs either."

"It's 0500 already. He should be up by now."

As they spoke of the devil, he appeared. Gibbs was dressed for work and climbed into his Challenger. He pulled out of the driveway and took off.

"I'm going to follow him. Good luck with yours."

Ziva got out of the car and quickly went to hers parked three cars down. What they didn't see was the blind in the top floor window open and the man drinking his morning coffee.

* * *

Kate waited an hour. By the second hour, she was getting impatient. A car pulled up in front of the house. Bingo. She raised her camera and got a picture of the driver and the car. Hispanic. Mid twenties. He honked the horn once. She saw the front door open and Anthony came out. He locked the door and waved to a neighbor walking their dog. He got in the car and they went in the opposite direction that Gibbs went.

 _Finally_ , she thought.

* * *

Tim woke up that morning with a bad feeling. What couldn't Abby have just left it alone? Yes, he was curious, but he wasn't that intent. He knew his boss kept his personal life secret. He had enemies and if there was even the possibility of a threat, he wouldn't want his family getting hurt. Tim felt that by opening that can of worms was like opening Pandora's Box. It wasn't going to be good.

* * *

Abby was in a good mood that morning. She thought about what had happened the previous night. Gibbs was going to be a daddy. She couldn't believe it! Then she thought, if he was happy with the baby, why didn't he shout it from the rooftops? Was he embarrassed that the fact his baby mama was a man? Abby didn't think so. In fact, she thought he wasn't ashamed. That brought up the next question. Why didn't Gibbs ever introduce the team to his husband? Did he think that they wouldn't approve? DADT was repealed a while back. Wait a second, the marriage license said 2001. They couldn't have been married. Same-sex marriage wasn't legal back then. Did that mean their marriage was falsified?

Abby was buzzing with questions while she powered up her babies. She looked at her clock. 0600. Ducky should be in his office by now. She grabbed a Caff-Pow! and made her way to the morgue.

Ducky was looking over some paperwork and sipping on a cup of tea when she walked in.

"Ah, Abigail. How did your little adventure pan out last night?"

Abby sat on a corner of the desk. "It was a success, Duckman."

Ducky was now interested. He turned to her. "Do pray tell the tale."

Thirty minutes later, after a detailed description from Abby of the night's events, Ducky was dumbfounded.

"Pregnant?" he said.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. Isn't it exciting?!" Abby was bouncing with excitement.

"This can't happen. It is impossible. It is a joke among the medical community."

"Well, it happened. Is there a way to find out if it's true?"

"I'll see what I can dig up."

"Thanks Duckman." She kissed his cheek and skipped back to her lab.

* * *

 

Ziva followed the yellow Challenger from a couple of cars behind. She wondered what he was doing. He wasn't headed to work or his favorite coffee shop. She stayed behind for twenty minutes or so before he pulled up to a one story brick house. A Hispanic man in a security guard's uniform got in and she snapped a shot with her camera. They got back out on the road again and drove for fifteen minutes. The Challenger pulled up once again at another house in a another neighborhood. She watched Gibbs get out and knock on the front door. He greeted the woman and two children with backpacks barreled into him hugging his legs. He got the kids into the car took off once again. She noticed their route had made a circle and were once again near Gibbs' neighborhood. They pulled up to a school and stopped. Gibbs got out and opened the passenger door. The children came out and stood on the sidewalk. The security guard came out next and shook Gibbs' hand. Gibbs hugged the children and waved goodbye. As the car pulled away, the guard took the children's hands and walked them into the school. She laid low and waited.

* * *

Kate followed the car all the way back to Georgetown. She saw them pull into a parking space in front of the Psychology building. They got out and went in. She followed them at a sedate pace, careful not to get made. They went up the stairs to the third floor and Anthony went to the section where the offices were. The Hispanic man went to the front desk and took a seat. _So he's the receptionist._ She followed Anthony down a hallway to the third door to the left. He unlocked it, went in, and closed it. She stood in front of it and read the name plaque. _Anthony D. Gibbs, PhD. Associate Professor. He's a teacher. I've got my work cut out for me, she thought._

* * *

Gibbs made his way into the bullpen, hot cup of coffee in his hand and gut in overdrive. His gut hadn't been this bad since Baltimore. And that was a bad thing. Thank God he got Tony out of there in time. He sat down and pulled up his email. No new messages from Vance. That's a good thing. He looked at the time. 0730. Only McGee was in the bullpen with him.

"McGee?"

Tim looked up. "Yes, Boss?"

"Where are Todd and David?"

"I have no idea, Boss. Want me to call them?"

"Nope. let them get fired for all I care. I got to get Ducky's report for this file. I'll be back in a while."

With that, Gibbs got up and went to the elevator. Tim made sure he was gone before he picked up the phone.

"Kate, call Ziva and get the hall back here. Gibbs is pissed." He hung up. What the hell were they thinking?

* * *

 

Gibbs made his way down to autopsy to find Ducky at his desk and Palmer doing inventory.

"Hey, Duck. Got that report for me?"

"Of course, Jethro. I have it right here." Ducky signed it and handed it to Gibbs.

"Thanks, Duck." Gibbs turned to walk out but Ducky voice stopped him.

"Jethro, I offer my sincere congratulations."

Gibbs turned back to him. "On what, Duck? I'm not retiring, if that's what you think."

Ducky chuckled. "Oh no, dear boy. What I meant was the new addition to your family."

Gibbs looked confused. "I didn't hire anyone. Did Vance do something without my consent?"

"Nevermind, Jethro. Carry on."

Gibbs walked out.

 _Oh, he's good_ , Ducky thought.

* * *

 

When Gibbs got back, he was called into MTAC. Again. Ziva and Kate still hadn't arrived.

"McGee, you're still on cold cases. Tell those two if they're not here by the time I get back, we're sparring."

"Yes, Boss."

McGee called Kate again. "Kate, where are you? Boss said if you both aren't back, you'll be sparring against him."

"That's what he said."

McGee hung up again. He went down to see Abby.

"Abby?"

"Hey, Timmy. What's up?"

"Kate and Ziva aren't here yet and Boss just threatened them."

"What did he threaten them with?"

"Sparring. Against him."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. Listen Abby, I think this has gone too far."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we followed our boss, watched him have a private date with his husband, eavesdropped on their happy moment, and now Kate and Ziva are following said husband. This has gone too far. I have a feeling that we're going to get caught."

"No we won't. Don't worry, Tim. It'll be fine."

McGee walked out of the lab afraid for his life and his job if those two were caught.

* * *

 

McGee came back to the bullpen after a pit-stop at the men's room. He saw his colleagues' bags next to their desks and Gibbs was nowhere to be seen. He breathed a sigh of relief and sat down at his desk. 1300. Time for lunch. He went to get up when he heard the elevator ding. A man in a suit, a security guard, and a man holding two children's hands came into the bullpen. McGee got a good look at them and felt his nightmare came true. Ah, fuck! He's here. Said man zeroed on him and came forward, hand outstretched. Tim, trying not to freak out, shook it.

"Hi there. I'm Tony DiNozzo. I'm looking for Agent Gibbs. He around?"

"I'm Tim McGee, one of Gibbs' junior agents. He's been in MTAC most of the morning. I'm not sure when he'll be back." The thought it was weird that Tony used his maiden name and not Gibbs.

"Don't worry. I can take care of that." Tony pulled out his phone, pressed a few buttons, and put the phone back in his pocket. Five seconds later, Gibbs comes out of MTAC, with Vance stopping at the top rail.

"Hey." Gibbs came up to Tony and pressed a chaste kiss on his lips. He knelt down and gave the boys a hug. "What're you doing here?"

"We came to talk to you. Like right now. Is there someplace where we can talk, all of us?"

"I'm sure Abby won't mind us using her office. It can be airlocked and it's made with bulletproof glass."

"Ok, let's go."

Tim watched all of them board the elevator. He felt his blood pressure skyrocket as he called the lab.

"Abby, Gibbs is coming your way."

* * *

 

Vance had watched Gibbs greet the group in the bullpen with wide eyes. He couldn't believe it. After all this time... He pulled out his phone and put it on speed dial.

"Agent Fornell, you will not believe who just showed up in my building."

"Anthony DiNozzo, Jr."

"He went downstairs with Gibbs."

"You got the subpoena?"

"Alright, see you in a few."

Vance hung up. "Gotcha you bastard."

 


	8. Shit Just Got Real

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left after this!

Kate and Ziva made it to the lab while Gibbs was still in MTAC. They were thankful that they wouldn't run into him until later. Abby was running tests on evidence for another team when they came in.

"Abby, we're back."

Abby turned around with an annoyed look on her face.

"Where the hell have you two been?"

"Well, Abby, when you follow someone it's going to take a lot longer than two hours. We brought lunch."

"Good. Feed me while you tell me everything."

They told her what they knew and showed her the photos they took.

"He's a Psychology professor? That's weird because you would think that Gibbs hates shrinks. I wonder who these guys are."

"Well, this guy is obviously a security guard. The other one I think is a secretary/receptionist of some sort."

The phone in the lab rings. Abby picks it up.

"Abby's Labby."

_"Gibbs is coming your way."_

"Damn, thanks McGee."

She turned back to the other two.

"Guys, Gibbs is coming. Act like you're helping me with something."

"Wasn't there some sort of machine you needed help with last week."

Kate and Ziva made it to the lab while Gibbs was still in MTAC. They were thankful that they wouldn't run into him until later. Abby was running tests on evidence for another team when they came in.

"Abby, we're back."

Abby turned around with an annoyed look on her face.

"Where the hell have you two been?"

"Well, Abby, when you follow someone it's going to take a lot longer than two hours. We brought lunch."

"Good. Feed me while you tell me everything."

They told her what they knew and showed her the photos they took.

"He's a Psychology professor? That's weird because you would think that Gibbs hates shrinks. I wonder who these guys are."

"Well, this guy is obviously a security guard. The other one I think is a secretary/receptionist of some sort."

The phone in the lab rings. Abby picks it up.

"Abby's Labby."

_"Gibbs is coming your way."_

"Damn, thanks McGee."

She turned back to the other two.

"Guys, Gibbs is coming. Act like you're helping me with something."

"Wasn't there some sort of machine you needed help with last week."

* * *

 

Gibbs walked into the lab and noticed something again was off. The stereo wasn't blaring Abby's form of music. He heard voices coming her office and went to investigate.

"Abby, you in here?'

Abby and Kate looked up from the machine they were working on.

"Hi, Gibbs, we're working on my new baby I just got in. It's going to be awesome!"

"That's nice. Abs, I need to use your office again. So can you guys leave, this won't take long."

"Sure Gibbs. I have to check Major Mass Spec anyway."

The three women went out into the main area of the lab and froze. Anthony DiNozzo was in the lab! With the other two men Kate and Ziva had seen. And the kids! But why?

Gibbs came back out. "Va tutto bene. Da questa parte."

The group followed him in and Gibbs shut the glass door.

Abby turned to the other women. "What the fuck are we going to do?"

"Well, Abby. This is your lab, your problem."

Abby started getting worked up. She began pacing the lab and waving her hands animatedly like she always did.

"We need to call McGee."

She ran to the phone.

"Tim, Gibbs' entire family is here. I'm scared and I need your support."

_"I'm coming, but you know this is your fault, right?"_

"Thanks, Tim."

* * *

 

Gibbs had his family sit down on Abby's futon. Whatever it was they needed to tell him it wasn't good because just from looking at his husband's face it looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Babe, what happened?"

Tony took a minute to breathe. "Jethro, I think we were being followed."

Gibbs tensed and his thoughts were racing. "How? We've been careful for twelve years. Twelve years!"

Tony got up and took Gibbs' hands in his. "Jethro, there was a government sedan in front of the house this morning before I left with Hector for work."

Gibbs' eyes widened. "Hector, that true?"

The man who wasn't the security guard stepped forward. "Si, Senor Gibbs. It was a navy blue sedan with government plates. There was one occupant, the driver. May have been a woman, but I couldn't tell."

Tony turned to Gibbs. "Then when we got the office I had noticed a woman with brunette hair in the building looking like a lost student, but from the way she was dressed and the way she moved, it just screamed fed. " He looked at his husband with a fear in his eyes that Gibbs hadn't seen in twelve years. "Jethro, did the FBI find us?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No, there's no way that they could know you're in DC. I threw Fornell and everyone else on that op off your trail years ago." Then the thought hit him.

"The gift," he whispered.

"The gift. What about it?" Tony said.

Gibbs thought about their date the previous night. The car that kept up him on the highway. He had thought he had seen the same one parked across the street from the restaurant but didn't think anything of it. Then, there was the feeling that they were being watched. Gibbs turned to the security guard.

"Tomas, did you happen to see anything this morning?"

Tomas thought for a minute. He spoke with a thicker accent than Hector. "I did see a car that weaved in and out of lanes on the way to pick up the ninos." 

"Can you describe the car?"

"Bright red. The top was white. Maybe a Mini Cooper."

Gibbs swore. Tony looked at him with a curious look.

"Jethro do you know who it is?"

Gibbs' face grew stormy. He eyes were stone cold. Tony hadn't seen that look since Baltimore.

"I do. It's not the FBI."

"Then who is it?"

"My team." He said through clenched teeth. "And if I know them, they got curious, followed us, and there may be possible pictures."

Tony went pale and sat down. "No, no, no, no. There can't be pictures."

Gibbs knelt in front of him and took the younger man's face in his hands. "Do you remember my promise?"

Tony nodded.

"Say it."

"You will always protect me and Semper Fi."

Gibbs smiled and kissed him. He got back up. "Hector. Tomas. Stay with them. I have some asses to chew out."

* * *

 

Fornell got off the elevator on the floor where Gibbs' team worked. Twelve years he had been looking for DiNozzo and his father. They had both vanished without a trace when they stormed that warehouse in Baltimore. Gibbs had been there too, but for once had taken a step back from the investigation. It had bugged him at the time because Gibbs never handed jurisdiction over to another agency. It just wasn't in his nature.

He needed information from DiNozzo on his father's whereabouts. Anthony DiNozzo Sr. may have been a businessman, but he also was part of the arms smuggling ring and part of the Mafia based in Baltimore. Junior had been his only hope of finding him, but he disappeared in March of 2001, just a month and a half before the sting.

Fornell and the Organized Crime Unit had sent out BOLOs to every federal agency and even their overseas counterparts. No one had seen or heard of him since. Until today. Vance had been working closely with the FBI at the time and wanted DiNozzo just as badly for the murders of several Navy personnel.

He caught up with Vance in the bullpen.

"Where is he?"

"He downstairs with Gibbs."

* * *

 

Ducky was dropping off some vials and specimen jars at the lab when he ran into McGee.

"Timothy, are you in a hurry?"

"Kinda, Ducky. Abby said Gibbs and his family are in her office."

"Oh my. Shall we see what all the fuss is about."

They walked in at the same time and saw the three women looking worried. Ducky stepped forward.

"Abigail, I have some samples for you. And pray tell what's happening."

She set the samples aside and looked at Ducky. "Bossman's in my office with his family. I don't know what they're talking about, and that's what scares me." Her eyes started tearing up.

"Abigail, you knew when you were doing this that it would one day haunt you."

"I know, but I didn't think my karma would run out the next day."

"You should have thought about that before you started digging into my personal life."

Everyone turned around to look at Gibbs. The glare he gave them was murderous. He stepped forward.

"What the fuck do you think you were doing?!"

"Jethro, calm down..."

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? Et tu, Dr. Mallard?"

Ducky had the decency to look chastised. Gibbs turned to his subordinates.

"I don't share my personal life for a reason. I am protecting my family. You shouldn't have gotten involved."

"Gibbs, what is so damn important that you couldn't share with us?" Kate had the guts to say.

Gibbs glared at her hard. She would have been burned to a crisp if it was on open flame. "You want the story, Kate? I'll give you the condensed version. Christmas 2000, I was stuck in Baltimore for a psychological profiling seminar. The man I just so happened to sit next to was Detective Anthony DiNozzo. We hit it off, dated for a while when he came to me. He was in trouble and needed my help. I gave him a solution. Move to DC and marry me. No one would find him. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, Gibbs," she mumbled.

"I knew there was something fishy going on yesterday when I came down here and I smelled everyone's cologne. It just didn't register at the time because I was in a hurry. Now I repeat. WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?! I can have your jobs for this. I can also have you arrested for stalking, harassment, and even child endangerment. Don't give me that look, Abby. I know there are pictures somewhere. McGee, I have a suspicion that you were roped into this."

"Yes, Boss."

"Alright, be a good agent and destroy all of the evidence you have. Pictures, and even t he recordings."

They all looked at him in surprise. He gave them a look back.

"I'm not stupid. I turned my phone off when I left the building yesterday. Imagine my surprise when I found it on when I got home."

Everyone looked at Abby. She looked at them with her hands up. "Fine. I'm the ringleader."

"I thought so. You're treading a very thin line, Abby."

"Can you forgive me, Gibbs?"

"I don't think I can. And it's not me you should apologize to."

He turned to Ziva and Kate and started yelling in Russian. Ziva was glad she couldn't translate because just from the look on Gibbs' face it wasn't pretty.

Vance and Fornell walked in and took in the scene before them. Gibbs yelling in Russian? That's a new one.

"Agent Gibbs, why are you harassing NCIS personnel?"

Gibbs turned to look at them. He narrowed his eyes. "What the fuck are you doing here, Tobias?"

"I have a subpoena for Anthony DiNozzo Jr's statement on the whereabouts of his father."

"I have no idea who you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb, Gibbs. I saw him come down here with you," Vance said.

"Anthony DiNozzo Sr and Jr both disappeared in 2001. You both know that. You were there."

"And you were there too. So how come Jr decides to vanish too?"

"I believe _I_ can answer that, Agent Fornell."

They all turned to look at Tony standing in the doorway.

"Agent Fornell, that subpoena you hold in your hand is null and void." Fornell started to protest, but stopped when Tony raised his hand. "One, it's void because I have no knowledge of where my father is. I have not spoken in probably twenty-five years. And second, it's void because Anthony DiNozzo Jr may have disappeared in March 2001, but Anthony DiNozzo Jr ceased to exist when I married Jethro."

Vance and Fornell looked at Gibbs and Tony with wide eyes. Fornell came to his senses first.

"Why did the fuck you disappear?"

Tony gave a dark chuckle. "Dear, Agent Fornell. While I was a homicide detective in Baltimore, I was paired with a Danny Price. After I met Jethro, I found that Danny was a dirty cop and was feeding info to Mafia. Turns out Danny was supposed to bring me back into the fold. I didn't want that, so I ran to Jethro. He got me out. And we've been happily married ever since." Gibbs and Tony shared a smile.

Ducky stepped forward hesitantly. "Anthony, I sympathize your situation and need to hide, but what I would like to know is: how are you and Jethro able to have children?"

Fornell and Vance turned to the Medical Examiner then back to Gibbs and Tony. "Children?" Vance said.

Gibbs and Tony laughed at the looks on the two men's faces.

"Well, it's very simple Dr. Mallard. I have a genetic anomaly where I was born with extra functioning parts."

"I believe it has never been heard of I'm afraid."

"It's alright, Duck. After all the times we've sat in the waiting room at the doctor's office, we still get looks from the other parents to be."

Tony chuckled. "But it's worth it."

"Yeah, especially with the little one coming." Gibbs gave his husband an earth shattering kiss in front of everyone. The girls sighed while the men looked in the opposite direction.

"Ewww, Papa's kissing Daddy again."

The two men broke apart and busted out laughing. They turned to see the kids and their guards giving them silly grins.

"It's ok to come out now, guys." Gibbs said.

The two identical boys came forward while the two men hung back. Tony introduced them.

"Boys, this is Papa's team. Everyone these are our twins, Jacob and Jason. The guys are brothers also and our family's bodyguards, Hector and Tomas Ruiz."

"Aww, they're so cute!" The girls said.

Fornell said, "That's nice and all, but I would still like to know where your father is."

Tony gave him an innocent look. "Agent Fornell, I already told you I have no idea where he is. Don't bother asking Jethro either. He doesn't know."

"Nope," Gibbs smiled. "Now that you have your answers, I would like to get home. I have a Christmas holiday to plan."

The Gibbs clan walked out of the NCIS building with smiles on their faces, ready to celebrate the holidays.


	9. Holiday Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed it.

The Gibbs family made it home in time for the kids' bedtime. It had been an unbelievably stressful day, so the proud parents didn't mind sending their kids to bed early for once. When the kids were tucked in, they got cozy on the couch by the fireplace. They looked around their home, all decorated for the Christmas season, and just knew that next year would be even better.

"Jethro?"

"Mhm?"

"What's going to happen now?"

Jethro knew that was the inevitable question. He had been protecting his family for so long, it was second nature to him. He couldn't help the little white lies or the half truths he had told. And he didn't regret it. Not one single bit.

He turned to face his lover and best friend of twelve years. "I'm not going to lie to you, babe."

"I know what ever you did, you had to do to protect us. I understand."

"I've done so many things to protect you guys. I've erased records, forged documents, shredded documents, you name it, I've done it."

Tony looked Jethro in the eye. "Was my father one of those things?"

Jethro nodded.

Tony sighed, "It was for the best." He turned back to the Christmas tree and gazed at it's beauty.

The two sat in silence for a little while before Tony got up, went into the kitchen, and came back with a plate of cookies and milk.

Jethro smirked. "Is that for me or the baby?"

"I'll have you know that I have an excuse to get fat again, and you can't stop me."

He held his hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok. You made your point. Never mess with a pregnant man's cookies."

They munched on the Christmas treats and talked about how excited the kids were about Santa bringing them presents. The two men still had to put some together and get them wrapped, but they did it before, they can do it again.

Tony took a moment to look at his husband. Jethro may look relaxed on the outside, but Tony could tell that there was a war brewing behind those deep blue eyes. Other signs he could see too. The tense shoulders, the twitch in his jaw, the scowl every now and then.

"Honey, what's going on? What's got you so upset?"

Jethro looked conflicted. "I feel angry, pissed, and betrayed. I shouldn't feel betrayed because I didn't tell my team about you guys. But it still hurt. It felt like I got punched in the gut for not protecting you guys. I let my guard down, and I let you down."

Tony gave him a somber look and snuggle in close. "Ah, Jethro, it's not your fault. They were bound to fins out anyway."

"But-"

"But nothing. If you're still upset about it, let me make you feel better."

Jethro raised an eyebrow. "How're you going to do that?" Then he got a feral look in his eye.

"Before you go all caveman on me, hear me out first. You're going to have to use your computer skills-"

Jethro listened to what Tony had to say. He had to say, his husband was good at getting back at people. They finished wrapping presents, left the plate and glass out for the kids, and made their way to the master suite of the house where they proceeded to make love once again.

* * *

 

The Day after New Year's:

Abby had just come back from an awesome Christmas vacation. It was awful nice of Gibbs to let the entire team have the holidays off. She knew he was still mad at her for invading his privacy, but she felt that with time, he would forgive her.

She threw her winter coat on her chair and turned on her machines. She turned on her stereo expecting her loud screaming bass, but her ears were met with the awful twang of banjos and country music.

She screamed. Someone had swapped her cds. No one messed with her stereo. She went to lift the lid on the cd player, but was met with resistance. Puzzled, she looked at the stereo closer. Her eyebrows went up. _Was that superglue?_

She didn't have time to ponder long because as soon as her babies finished logging on, they went crazy. Dings, sirens, and other loud noises went off in the lab. She tried to fix the problem, but someone had apparently hacked into her machines and now she couldn't outhack the hacker. She was now panicking. She dialed McGee.

_"What Abby?"_

"Timmy, something wrong with machines. I need help!"

_"Alright, alright. I'm coming."_

...

McGee had come into the bullpen feeling like a new man. The boss was gracious with the time off, but knew that he still had a chip on his shoulder and a target on the team's back.

He sat in his chair and powered up his computer. He attempted to log in, but was met with a wall of encrypted code designed to keep McGee from getting into his computer. It was so complex that even he had trouble deciphering it.

His phone rings. It's Abby and apparently someone got her too. He went to go see what he could do to help.

...

Kate had come in fresh from the beaches of Florida. She was sporting a light tan and a new outlook on life. She was still feeling guilty about Gibbs and how things went down. She reached the bullpen and noticed the McGee was the only other person there.

She sat at her desk and powered on her computer. She had typed a few keys when her fingers got stuck. What the hell? She tried to move them but they were stuck. Someone had superglued her keyboard. She panicked and was about to call for help when the elevator dinged.

...

Ziva had a refreshing vacation even though she didn't celebrate Christmas. She was still getting used to the concept. When she entered the bullpen, she heard Kate cursing under her breath.

"Kate, what are you doing?"

"Thank God, Ziva. Someone put superglue on my keyboard."

"I might have something in my desk that will work."

Ziva places her bag behind her desk and powers up her computer. She opens up her drawer when she's hit with something in the face. She looks down and finds roaches in her desk. She screams and runs away.

"Real smooth, Ziva."

...

Gibbs is standing in a different area of the bullpen that no one hardly ever uses. He watches and hears the result of his husband's master plan. It was a success. He had already pranked Vance by talking with his wife Jackie and complaining about how her husband never gives his team any time off. Tony suggested getting Fornell by putting a fake horse's head in his bed like The Godfather. Jethro had objected to it and let Diane do all the work for him.

Gibbs went back to the break room for more coffee with a smile on his face. He couldn't wait to tell Tony. Looks like this year was getting off to a good start.

 

THE END


End file.
